Add Gluten to Flour

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. It adds elasticity to bread dough and absorbs moisture to add structure and make the finished product moist, and fluffy. White bread flour has more gluten than whole wheat, which is why whole wheat breads tend to be denser and more crumbly. Other flours, such as rye and all-purpose wheat also have lower gluten contents and tend to make drier, more crumbly breads. However, you can increase the gluten content by adding vital wheat gluten to your flour.

Steps

  1. Add the vital wheat gluten on a per-recipe basis and not to the entire bag of flour. The standard gluten/flour ratio is 1 tbsp. (15 ml) for every 2 to 3 cups (473 ml to 711 ml) of flour.
  2. Mix in the vital wheat gluten before you add the other dry ingredients once you have determined how to add gluten to flour.
    • Add your flour to a bowl, add the gluten and mix it together with a fork or pour it into a sifter and sift it into a fresh bowl.
  3. Combine your wet ingredients per the instructions in your bread recipe.
    • Once you have mixed the gluten into the flour you can use it as you would any other flour.

Tips

  • Avoid adding too much additional flour during the kneading process and knead the dough with a gentle touch. Excess kneading and additional flour actually creates more gluten and you could end up with excess gluten in your product.
  • Gluten ratios are very exact. If you add more than the recommended amount of gluten, your bread will not rise properly and could dry out. Add less and the bread will crumble.
  • Avoid adding gluten to cake, cookie or pie recipes which will make the final product heavy and tough. These recipes rely on other factors, such as the steam produced during the baking process, to maintain moisture in the final product. Gluten is best reserved for breads, which need the protein to maintain the structure.

Warnings

  • Do not add gluten to your flour if you are using gluten-free flours for recipes specific to celiac disease, or gluten intolerance.

Things You'll Need

  • Vital wheat gluten
  • Measuring spoon or cup
  • Bowl
  • Fork or flour sifter

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Sources and Citations

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